Galvanic battery.



C. B; SCHOENMEHL. GALVANIC BATTERY. APPLICATION VFILED APR. 23.41912.

2 sums-SHEET 1.

Patented. Mar. 1l, 1913.

C. B. SCHOENMBHL. GALYANIG BATTERY. APPLIGATION FILED APR. 23, 19l21,055,561-, Patented Mar. u, w13.

CHARLES B. SCHOENMEHL, 0f? "WATERURY, CONNECTICUT.

entriamo BATTERY.

incassi.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. ll, 1913.

Appueaun inea april as, 1ere. seriai Ivo. 692,738.

`tollcwing is a specilication.

more particularly to compressed oXid of Mv invention relates to primarybatteries,

copper negative electrodes therefor, and refers to the same irrespectiveof form, being equally applicable 'to theseveral types ot compressedcopper oxid plates, cylinders and piles. Theseptypes o negative elec`tiroides are formed from iinely ground @gid of copper scale which ispressed into forni and baked to harden the same, and are then assembledwith the co-acting positive or zinc electrodes, and suspended within ajar iille'd with a proper active solution which in practice affects thematerials of the two electrodes. These compressed copper oXid negativeelectrodes swell, disintegrate, crumble and lieke, more or less, in theoperation of the battery, which, in some instances, renders themobjectionable.v It is alsotrue that these electrodes are also brittleand more or less liable to break nduring handling and shipment, whichobviously makes them useless when employed in the old way, withoutsuitable protecting means to hold them in shape.

It is therefore the purpose of my invention to overcome the foregoingdifficulties by providing means for more rigidly supporting the negativeelectrodes within their frames or hangers, and especially to protecttheir vertical operative sides or faces in a way which will `properlyretain them in form, even though they should become crackedV or broken,and to accomplish the above in a manner which will leave practically allof the operative face of the electrode exposed to the solution and(1o-acting elements; to accomplish the foregoing in a simple, practicaland inexpensive way, so that the efliciency of the 'element will in noway be impaired, but, on the other hand, so that the electricalconnection oroontact between the said elements and their support-- ingframe will be materially improved,

.thereby insuring a greater ellicienc causway of employing compressednegative ele.- ments.

lt has also been the custom heretofore to preliminarily reduce thesurface of these copper oxid negative electrodes, so that when appliedin use they will operate at their full capacity at the beginning of an`operation of the battery 'of which they form a part.. l also, therefore,provide means for avoiding the necessity of preliminarily reducing thesurface. of these copper 'oXid negative elements to a metallic state,prior to being used, which consists in forming the supporting means insuch a way and of a suitable material, whereby a plain black uncoatedcompressed copper oxid electrode may be used and made to produce asatisfactory initial and continual operation.

To these ends the invention resides and consists in means for carryingout the -above objects, embodying the features of construction,combination of elements,havingthe general mode of operationssubstantially ashereinatter described and claimed in Athev specicationand claims and shown in the' accompanying drawings, and in which- Figure1 shows a central vertical sectionalelevation through a modern type ofprimary battery, the-suspended negative electrode of which is protectedin accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a det-ached edge view ot theassembled electrodes, shownoin Fig. l;v

Fig. 3 is a detached side View of a slightlyv different form ofcompressed oxid of copper plate from that shown Ain Fig. 1; Figfll showsa cylindrical form of assembled element and includes an inner and outer'zinc y electrode and an intermediate cylindrical, form of compressedcopper oxid negative elect-rode; Fig. 5 is a central vertical sec'f...

tional vew of the cylindrical negative elecy trode shown in Fig. et; andFig. 6 is a further side elevation of a compressed oxid of.`

copper negative electrode like that shown in Fig. 3,.with the protectingmeans therefor arranged in a slightly'diferent manner.

Referring in detail to thecharactel's 0-` reference marked upon thedrawings 10 rep' resents a battery 4jar and ll a cover therefor,

the solution contained therein being indicated in the usual manner bylines and dashes. The assembled element,shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is hung'lfrom the cover through the medium of a suspending rod12 vpassing`through a hole-in the cover and 'llo iti secured thereto by means ofnuts 13. 14 represents a connecting wire attached to the said rod 12 bymeans -of a nut'l and designed Vto connectl with the negative pole ofthe battery. To the lower end of the rod 12 is connected a flexiblesteel strip 16'by means of nuts 17, the cent-ral portion of said stripbeing struck up to fit over an insulating blocklS and punched out oneither side to allow the top cross member 19 of the wire frame 20 vtopass therethrough in engage- '.ient with a suitable recess in the beforementioned insulating block. Atop channel cross piece 2l, having a holethrough each end portion, is fit-ted against the yieldable ends of thesteel strip 1G and upon the vertical side portions of the frame 20. Asomewhat similar sheet metal channel strip 22 is fitted to the lower endportions of the side members of the frame 2O and is secured thereon bymeans of nuts 23. The compressed oxid of copper negative element 24,which, in this instance, is in a plate form, is supported intermediateof the top and bot tom sheet metal channel pieces 20 and 22 and the.vertical. side members of the wire hanger 20 the same being clamped insaid position by the before mentioned nuts 23.

The positive electrodes 25, of which there are two in number, aresecured to the opposite sides of the porcelain block 18 by means of abolt 26 passing therethrough with nuts 27 on either end to clamp theplates in position. -The second connecting wire 28 is also suitablyattached to this bolt to connect with the opposite or positive pole ofthe battery, which, as will be noted, is properly insulated from thenegative side.

The construction shown in Fig. 4 also represents an assembled elementthat is adapted to be suspended from a cover by a single rod 12?, whichis connected to a bridge piece 29, to which the positive electrodes 25aare hung. The cylindrical form of negative electrode 24a is insulativelyconnected to the before mentioned bridge piece A29 through the medium ofa pair of depending wires- 3() that pass down through the inside of theelectrode and are turned up over the lower end portions.. The endport-ions of this cylindrical element are covered by caps 31, theflanges 32 'of which are serrated to better engage' the outer peripheraledge of the cylinder'and the wire windings thereon contained. Theconnecting wires 14 and 28 may be att-ached to the respective poles ofthe twoelements in the manner shown.

The feature of the invention as before stated resides in means forprotecting the compressed negative electrodes, and which I form by theemployment of one or more pieces of zinc coated wire 33 that are woundaround and around the outer surface of the compressed electrodev eithervertically. or

crosswise and so as' to encircle both the platel and its frame ifpreferred, as shown in Figs.

1, 2 and 4l, or simply to encircle the electrode itself as shown in theother ligures. These windings may obviously be arranged at a suitabledistance apart to sufliciently protect the element', and yet at the sametime notcover any more of the surface than is necessary, and the endportions 35 may be soldered or otherwise secured to the windings asshown in Figs. 3 and 6, or may be fastened .to the frame by'being woundaround a part of the same as shown at 36 in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. When theplate forms of elements are wound independently as shown in Figs. 3 and6, they may be thus supported in a frame like that shown in Fig. 1, or,for instance, like that shown in my companion application tiled on evendate herewith and bearing Serial No. 692,737. Ineither instance it willbe noted that the end portions of t-he winding will of necessity be infirm engagement with the portion of the frame o-r hanger arrangedadjacent thereto. The wire windings will obviously be disposed acrossthe face of the electrodes and thus in positive engagement therewith.

The wire proper may be ordinarily iron wire, though, as before stated,is plated with zinc, which inA practice and vimmediately upon beingsubmerged in the battery soin-c tion, serves4 to produce a local actionbetween the wire and copper oxid, which serves to treat and reduce thesurface of the latter. This action produces a red coloringn of the blackcopper, which first appears be-f neath and alongside of the wire, andgradually extends across the surface from one wire to the other. Thispreliminary reduc-v tion o'f the negativey plates better serves toproduce a fuller throw of electricity at the beginning of the operationof the battery. The form of the wire is preferably round, and thereforewhile a firm engagement of the plateishad the construction. is such asto permit the solution to attack the entire surface of the plate.v

In the drawing shown in Fig. 5, it will be noted that the cylindricalelement therein illustrated vis protected by a covering of wire bothupon the outside and inside, the latter being indicated by 37. Thisprotector would be formed of spring wire and in practice is first woundupon a mandrel of proper sive and shape and then placed in the cylinderL ndfallowed to expand against' the inner walls thereof, the ends can befastened or not as desired.`"`l`-he supporting wires 30 having' asupporting hook 30a formed on their lower end portions 'are thenthreaded through the end caps 31 and thus placed 1n position againsttheinside windings in a way to insure an engagement with each as shown inthe drawings and in a manner to bek s in position.

Patent is Having thus described my'y invention, what I claimA anddesireA to secure by Letters l. Ina primary battery the' combinationwith a compressed oxid ofl copper electrode, of one or more pieces ofwire continuously Wound around the trode.v

2. In a primary battery,.the-combination of a compressed oxid of coppere1ectrode,.a frame or han-ger for supporting the same, and one or morepieces of Wire Vcontinuously wound around both said electrode and frame.

3. In a primary-battery the combination electrode,`a frame orhangerforsupporting the same, a continuous piece of`wire Wound against theopposite sides of the compressed oxid of copper electrode. y.

4,- In a primary battery the combination l Witha compressed oi'zid ofcopper negative with a compressed copper oXid electrode, of

one or more pieces of wire. Wound. against the two sides of theelectrode.

5, The combination With a compressed oxid of copper negative electrode,of a Wire wound horizontally and continuously around A said compressedelec-V oxid of copper plate for a primary battery,

of one or more pieces of Wire Wound en# tirely and .continuously aroundand across the face of the plate to form a series o parallel supportsfor the plate.

7. The combination With a compressed oXid of copper negative electrode,of a continuous piece of Wire arranged in spaced horizontal lines acrossthe faces of the electrode."

' 8. The combina-tion of a compressed oXid of copperv negativeelectrode, `a frame or hangerA for-supporting the same, and a continuouspiece of' Wire Wound around the electrode to form 'a series of parallelsup: ports and having Iits end-.portions secured to the sai-d frame.

Signed at Bridgeportin the county of i Fairfield and State ofConnecticut this 22nd day of April A. D., 1912.

`CHARLES B.- SCHOENMEHL'. Witnesses:

C. M. NEWMaN, RUTH M.'WonDEN.

